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CHARLES H. Sawyer., or Burro-N, MAINE.

Lettere Patent No. 76,105, dated March 31, 1868.

' IMPROVlElltEll'Il` IN STEERING-APPARATUS.

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TO ALL WH-OM IT MAY OONCERN: V i

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. SAWYER, of Buxton, in the county of York, and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improved Steering-Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description thereof', which will enable others te inale and use my invention, reference boing had tol the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the revolving plate to hold the rudder-heed.

Figure 3 is a side view of one of the smelldouble gears.

Figure 4 is an end viewoil the screw on the wheel-shaft.

Figure 5 is a side view of the same.

The object of my invention is the production of ,an apparatus for steering vessels with increased ease, and also one which, by its Construction, is not liable to be turned, or to allow' the rudder to turn, when struck or pushed by the water. i

My invention consists of a shaft having the ordinary honrl-wheel, of common construction, and having also a right-undleft screw set upon itself', to operate two gears placed on either side thereof, which gears, meshing into a large gear on the' inner periphery thereof, give revolution to it, and with it the .rudderwhead uttaehed thereto. l l

A showsthe wheel; B, the shaft; a b, two small gears of the'ferm ,seen in iig. 3. These have vertical shafts connected to the upper plate e, upon which shafts they revolve. CZ is the right-andleft screw on the shaft B. The shaft is hung ntf, and also in a hole in a projection on the under side of the upper plate et D is a large gear, with therteeth thereof on the inner periphery, which match the part 1 of the smaller gears, (see iig. The under side of this wheel or gear is seen in iig-2, where the rudder-post hend is attached, at 7l. The part 2 of the small gears, fig. 3, receives the screw d, on the shaft B.

The device is enclosed in the box or cover H. The upper plate eis set in the box, ns shown in the drawing, with elastic packing, at 4 5 6 7. o is the place for the reception of the rudder-post, the ribs p being for the purpose of strengthening the wheel or geur.

- The operation of my invention is as follows: By turning the wheel A and shaft B, the small gears a b are caused to revolve in the same direction, thus imparting motion to the large wheel or gear D, and with it to the rudder of the vessel. When the wheel has once been turned as desired, is obvious that no force upon the rudder will reverse the motion, because the force will he exerted in a horizontal direction against the threads r, which will resist any change in the positionof'the wheel :ind rudder. -Snilicilent play to the rudder is givenby the elastic packing of the upper plate @,'ut 4 5 6 7, before described, which willy operate to ease the rudder when struck by a wave. A cover over the top of the box containing the gears protectsthem from the weather.

What l claim as my invention, anddesireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The s'tee1-in, f-appai'utus, as herein described, having the wheel-shai`t B, with its right-and-left screw d, andthe two small double gears a Z2, the larger gear D, with the teeth on the inner periphery thereof, as and for the described purposes. i

CHS. H. SAWYERI Witnesses: Y

WILLIAM HENRY CLIFFORD, WM. FRANK SEAVEY. 

